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I read somewhere that cats adapt to certain feeding times, and their systems release bile about 15 minutes earlier than that time.
This can upset their tummies, can cause them to throw up the clear liquid you sometimes see.
My kitties wake me up at 6:30, and are accustomed to eat at that time.
I have no advice to offer on how to move your cat's timetable back, but I get a wet nose poked into an eyeball and the cooing starts at 6:30 sharp. Poster's (#10) workup sheet is the one we follow at our home too.
Good luck fellow cat lover.
Last edited by TerraDown; 09-20-2015 at 09:15 PM..
I don't mean to make light of your situation, just a bit of comic relief. And I've been in the same boat. Luckily I'm a very heavy sleeper and my boys CAN'T wake me up (I have three alarms) otherwise trust me, they would!
Or in your case, 3:00 in the morning.
That list reminds me of a similar one that my wife & I had very early in our cat-guardian careers. IIRC it took about 2 days to scratch off the first 3 rules. Number 4 followed shortly after.
Buy yourself a Cat Mate auto feeder online. I believe Amazon sells them. There are two compartments to hold either wet or dry food and you can set them to open whenever you wish.
We use it every night for our nocturnal eater and when we leave for day trips because she only eats wet and we can't leave that out.
It is battery operated and has cold packs to keep wet food from spoiling, and wet food is always best imho. But use whatever food your cat is currently eating.
We leave our auto feeder in the kitchen set close to the lower cabinets. When the doors pop open she hears it. We are never disturbed.
^^^ Thanks for this reference! I looked at the Cat Mate line and they seem like well-made devices. The revues are overall very good.
I might get the one with 5 compartments, which extends to a 90 hour span. Perhaps worth the extra $20.
You're welcome. It is a real lifesaver around here! We have 2 Cat Mates. They are simple devices without the bells and whistles which means they last longer than more sophisticated ones.
I'm only familiar with the 2-door model, so definitely check out as many reviews on other models as possible.
I have an automated feeder that I use when I'm gone for extended periods of time or overnight somewhere. I don't see how this would help with my morning wakeup for feeding though, unless I set it to feed her at 3 or 4 am, which I'd rather not do. I can't imagine how messed up her schedule would be then!
I'd like her to get used to eating on the time schedule that I choose. She's struggling :/
I have an automated feeder that I use when I'm gone for extended periods of time or overnight somewhere. I don't see how this would help with my morning wakeup for feeding though, unless I set it to feed her at 3 or 4 am, which I'd rather not do. I can't imagine how messed up her schedule would be then!
I'd like her to get used to eating on the time schedule that I choose. She's struggling :/
Truthfully, sometimes we cannot control all of a cats' wishes/needs to conform to our schedules or desires. I'm not saying we kowtow to their every demand the instant they demand it, but if we can find compromises as part of the change-a-behavior process, then that's all the better. Rather than a time-on-the-clock thing, your kittie's metabolism may be faster than "normal" (and "normal" is such a relative term!), so I think that's what you're coping with, the length of time between meals and for how long she can tolerate an empty tummy. Her too-early-for-you breakfast requirements are not just a psychological demand, there's a physiological requirement, too. So, it has to be a drawn-out process to change her wishes/needs.
I would use the automated feeder as part of the process. Initially set it for 4 a.m. and then as time goes on reset it for 4:15 then 4:30 then 4:45 and so forth. Your cat will tell you for how many days the feeder has to remain at a new setting before you can reset it to a later time.
Perhaps your end goal could be to let your cat always expect that breakfast (at whatever time you both like) will always come out of the automatic feeder (nothing wrong with that) and the rest of the day's meals will come from you.
My cat is 16 and is my only pet left from my late husband. She eats good quality wet food whenever she wants to which is about 12 times a day. She wakes me up by pawing me at 3 AM, 4 AM 6 Am, but, at her age and what we have been through I'm ok with it. I'm just glad she is eating and still healthy because we have had some touchy moments.
My cat is 16 and is my only pet left from my late husband. She eats good quality wet food whenever she wants to which is about 12 times a day. She wakes me up by pawing me at 3 AM, 4 AM 6 Am, but, at her age and what we have been through I'm ok with it. I'm just glad she is eating and still healthy because we have had some touchy moments.
I get it. We definitely make choices which are the best for us although some look at what we do with a different eye and opinion. It's all about our choice of priorities (which are neither right nor wrong). For example, I'm currently doing a field study of Canada geese which means they're welcome in my backyard. But with that comes a crappy (literally and figuratively) backyard lawn. Some of my friends don't understand my choice. Another example, my oldest cat is a challenge which means I now have a litterbox out in plain view in my family room, and his feeding schedule is many multiple times a day, and his food has gone from out-of-the-can to smoothie (whipped canned food) and now to raw. My day is all about Silver which for some that sacrificial lifestyle just doesn't compute. But it makes sense to me.
And with that I have to leave the computer - it's time for another meal for Silver, and the 38 geese have just arrived for breakfast.
I have an automated feeder that I use when I'm gone for extended periods of time or overnight somewhere. I don't see how this would help with my morning wakeup for feeding though, unless I set it to feed her at 3 or 4 am, which I'd rather not do. I can't imagine how messed up her schedule would be then!
I'd like her to get used to eating on the time schedule that I choose. She's struggling :/
I apologize. From reading your original post I thought your priority was to get a good night's sleep.
Best of luck getting your cat to conform to an eating schedule of your choice. Post what worked for you. Our cats have never been the type to comply with our wishes!
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